Be like John

I learnt that the word of God has everything to do with how we believe it and our positioning in response to the received word. This is a critical look at Jesus’s disciples and the exploits they did after receiving the same nutrients from Jesus. In Luke 10, Jesus had 70 “disciples” moving with Him, and He sent them out to proclaim the gospel by healing the sick and preaching to them. The 70 came back with outstanding results, they were surprised by the results they experienced by demonstrating the power of God. For the first time, they experienced the daily life of Jesus, and yet, over 90% of them did not become his core disciples.

Jesus lived a glorious life, which had never been seen in Israel or, ultimately, the world. Even among the twelve, there were three that would be with the Lord at the mount of transfiguration, and yet among the three, only one was so close to the Lord that he was later named ‘’The beloved.” He practically lived out the love Jesus was showing to the world at the time. Jesus would dine and drink with the most despised people in His time. He would spend his day ministering to the needs of beggars, the destitute, and sick people. He was never bothered by their level of intellect, brilliance, socio-economic status, or the choking odour oozing from them. The disciples saw all these things; they listened to His teachings, and they saw Him live His words. He preached unconditional love and Jesus demonstrated it.

John saw it, he paid attention, he saw how Jesus loved them all and included some of the worst sinners of the time as His disciples, he saw Jesus’ intentions, His honesty, and then he responded. He loved Jesus right back. He stuck so much to Him. John was the proper guy you will call ‘’gum body’’. Jesus would be with the disciples teaching, and John would sleep on Jesus and lay his head on His chest. There was a time the disciples wanted to ask Jesus a question; they had to tap John, whose head was on the chest of Jesus, to please ask the Lord on their behalf. Can you see that? They were all exposed to the same teachings and practical applications as John, but John responded fully and loved the Lord back fiercely and unashamedly. They were in the same room with the Lord Jesus, but they felt John should do it because of how he has positioned Himself with the Lord.

John the Beloved was the only disciple with Jesus when Nicodemus came to see the Lord at night. That was the meeting that Jesus used to explain what salvation really meant. Only John was there. Only John understood the gospel perfectly at the time, so it is no surprise that his own account of the gospel was so different and it hit differently. He was the only one that documented that encounter. Oh, Things never discovered or heard of before, things beyond our ability to imagine — these are the many things God has in store for all his lovers. It is also not surprising that John the beloved was the only one that God revealed the final grand plan for our age in the wilderness of Patmos.

The difference between John the Beloved and others is simple, he simply responded to what the Lord had said about him. He never doubted Jesus’ word. How we receive and position ourselves after receiving the word of God matters a lot. I say to you today, be like John. Receive His love and word in simplicity. Show it back to Him fiercely and unashamed.
Be like John the Beloved.

With Love
Paul Shomer Ademujimi